Toni Kroos Defends Cristiano Ronaldo and Claims That No One Would Watch the Saudi Arabian League Without Him
The conflict between Cristiano Ronaldo and the Saudi Pro League continues to generate reactions, and now Toni Kroos has publicly come to the defense of his former teammate. The former Real Madrid midfielder said the Saudi league owes much of its international impact to the arrival of the Portuguese star.
Speaking on his podcast Einfach mal Luppen, which he hosts with his brother Felix, Kroos was blunt in his analysis: “The Saudi league is a strange phenomenon. Nobody had heard of it before Cristiano arrived.”
“They are disrespecting the man who put them on the map”
The 2014 World Cup champion not only highlighted Ronaldo’s media impact on Saudi football, but also questioned the way the Al Nassr forward is being treated amid the current situation.
“Now they are disrespecting the man who put them on the global map,” Kroos said.
He also emphasized how dependent the league is on the Portuguese superstar:
“If Cristiano leaves tomorrow, this league will lose all its appeal. Without Ronaldo, nobody would watch the Saudi league.”
Kroos praises Cristiano Ronaldo again
The German’s comments add to other recent praise for his former Real Madrid teammate. In an interview alongside Romário, Kroos did not hesitate to name the Portuguese forward as the best player he ever shared a locker room with.
“The best player I played with was Cristiano Ronaldo,” he said, also recalling his incredible scoring record with the Spanish club: “Cristiano scored more goals than games he played at Real Madrid.”
